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Gov Duncan agrees with Willock to ‘fund the police’; blasts NDP

Governor John S. Duncan OBE (left) has endorsed statements made by former Permanent Secretary and Businessman Julian Willock (right) about funding for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) and the need for Good Governance to prevail before Independence is sought for the VI. Photo: VINO/Facebook

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- They are not always on the same page or singing out of the same hymn book but Governor John S. Duncan OBE and former Permanent Secretary and Businessman Julian Willock are on the same page on two important issues affecting the Virgin Islands.

Mr Willock, who has emerged as one of the voices of reason, speaking on important national issues and offering solutions on how to address them, has continued his public speaking campaign.

Fund the police-Willock & Duncan

Mr Willock, who was a guest on the EGM Radio Show hosted by Edmund G. Maduro last Thursday February 9, 2017 on ZROD 103.7 FM, told the public and the government that one of the first steps in crime fighting is to properly fund the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF). Inadequate funding, he reasoned, remains a major issue for the Police.

“You have to also link crime and crime fighting to our tourism product. The government gives the Tourist Board maybe $13 million or $14 million a year; why not take a million dollars out of that and say ‘here is a million dollars for the police’? Do that every year to continue to help fund the police and provide the resources necessary” he proposed.

He told the government and the people that it would not be new money, “it is the same money that you would have ordinarily given to the Tourist Board,” Willock continued.

“The first thing my friends in Government will tell me is “well the police force is not a revenue generating department like others and my response to them has always been “no you have to understand the synergy between crime and our tourism product.”

Well Governor Duncan has jumped on Mr Willock’s ideas and endorsed them and yesterday, February 13, 2017 at a government event at Her Majesty’s Prison, confirmed that one of the challenges is the lack of government’s priorities in funding, including that of the police.

Mr Duncan told the ceremony held at Balsam Ghut, which included the Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL), that the Police Force's budget has been cut by 46% since 2012. The National Democratic Party (NDP) was elected in 2011.

Independence - Willock & Governor on same page

Mr Willock, who told the radio show last Thursday that he “strongly supports self-determination, but not with the current political class,” warned that we need to strengthen our institutions and “show respect for law and order before the people are convinced that Independence is the way to go.”

The former Permanent Secretary further added “there needs to be adequate checks and balances via our courts, our House of Assembly (HoA) and there must be confidence in those institutions.”

Well Governor Duncan agrees yet again with Willock. While speaking yesterday at Her Majesty’s Prison, during the launch of the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence Educational and Vocational Programme, he blasted the NDP Administration. He told the people “I am sure that the United Kingdom (UK) would be very willing to consider independence and certainly willing to consider constitutional review, but they, like I, will be asking for certain things to be done.”

Governor Duncan implied that the UK would be concerned about granting more powers to local politicians if they continue to drag their feet on implementing basic proposals to ensure human rights are upheld and that Government is made transparent and accountable, the same things Mr Willock has been saying.

Mr Duncan, who has been accused by the Opposition in the HoA, and the media of doing nothing to aid in good governance, spoke out on the lengthy delays in passing proposed legislations such as the Freedom of Information Act, and legislation to protect whistle-blowers, as well as the establishment of the Human Rights Council.

It would be such a relief to hear one brave, patriotic, and noble soul in the NDP to tell the citizens what we all know: that there has been a concerted, decades-long effort on the part of 2 elected members who love country that they have been saying much of the same thing behind closed doors

I listened to Carvin on a tv show with Bishop and he seems to be wisher washer on his positions on current affairs. He also wants to run with VIP. I listened to Willock. Very intelligent, have ideas and knows what he is about, that is the kind of people we need in office!

I just cannot fathom why the NDP supporters aren’t up in arms about these matters. After all it is their democracy too at stake. Do they not love this country enough to show concern about what willock and the governor are talking about?

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